The 2 unexpected traits of all great leaders

You've read it over and over again — the best leaders are
team-players who are honest, confident, committed, and
hard-working.

A lot of people fit this generic description, so what sets
truly inspiring leaders apart from the rest of the
pack?

Business Insider spoke with Professor Herminia Ibarra, author of
"Act
Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader," and asked the leadership
expert about the most surprising characteristics of the greatest
leaders.

While Ibarra was quick to shut down the idea of a universal
leader — "there's no model — some work really hard and some do it more
effortlessly; some of them are really people-oriented and some
are not at all" — she did mention two essential qualities that
apply to all effective leaders.

"Successful leaders really believe
in what they're trying to do, and they manage to be
contagious in their enthusiasm for it," says
Ibarra, "but there are many different ways of going about
that."

She warns against our
determination to pinpoint universal leadership qualities.
"I think part of the problem with leadership education is
that we're asking 'what is the model?' or 'what are the six
traits of a good leader?' or 'what do these certain people do
before breakfast?' But there is no model, and it varies a lot by
situation."

A cookie cutter template for
leadership does not exist. Great leaders come from all walks of
life, in all shapes and sizes. They don't necessarily share the
same traits — what they do share, though, is a deep
belief in what they're trying to get done, and the ability to
transmit their passion and enthusiasm for this belief to other
people, she says.